Phonograph.



G. H. UNDERHILL.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION nnnnrmz. 21, 1906.

980,459, Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

\XATNE55E5: |NVENTE1F- in, M W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHONOGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed February 21, 1906. Serial No. 302,196;

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. UNDERHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suflolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve ment in Phonographs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts;

My invention relates to sound-reproducing or sound-recording machines. While many features thereof have useful application to other types of such machines, and to those. employing but a single record, my invention is particularly applicable and is here illussents but a single form, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in. the appended claims. I

. In the drawings,-Figure 1 is acentral,

vertical section, partially broken "away,

showing the principal operating parts of a phonographembodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a partially broken await end elevation showing the support and travf ersing mechanism for the sound box; Fig. 3

is a side elevation showing the flexible linked record carrier and its relation" to the driving sprockets of the machine, and-Fig. 4: is an end view of the same linked carrier.

In the drawings, for illustrative purposes, I have shown the various features of my invention embodied in a multiple record pho' nograph employing a seriesof record cylinders a, which may be'of any usual or ordinary type. The term phonograph I herein employ in its generic sense to signify a machine of any type for producing or re producing sounds, it being immaterial whether such machine is of the graphophone or gramophone type or whether it employs cylindrical, disk or other records.

The specific type of machine here shown is provided with a record holder, which may be of any suitable type or construction but which is shown as of the linked or chain type, comprising two chains or sets of jointed links, in the individual links of which are held the several records of the series.

One .chain' is constructed ofa series of similar links Z, which may be and herein are jointed by means pf rods Z, each of which extends across to a corresponding and opposite joint in the other chain. The several rods are adapted to engage with the forked arms m of the two sprockets'M, M, mounted upon the sprocket shaft m the latter journaled in the machinecframe A, so that-the" linked holder is sustained by the sprockets and carried about as the sprocket shaft is turned.

The link Z has an open pocket or de ression Z formed on its upper edge in wiich one end of the mandrel shaft 11. is adapted loosely to rest, the semi-circular bottom of the pocket being of appreciably greater diameter than the diameter of the shaft. A pin nf in the overhanging end-of the shaft prevents lateral withdrawal thereof in one direction.

The other chain member'is composed of links 0, jointed as are the linksl, but having in place of the open pockets, apertureso, also of greater diameter than the diameter of the mandrel shaft. The latter at its end nearest to the link 0 terminates in an enlarged head a of greater dimensions than the aperture 0, there being provided between the shaft and the enlarged head an abruptly tapered portion it,

Each mandrel when placed upon the car rier is effectually held against longitudinal displacement by the pin n at one end the enlarged head-n at the other, the latter,

however, permitting a comparatively free I lateral or swinging movement of the mandrel upon the head as a fulcrum. At the opposite end however, the mandrel shaft is nor mally held against swinging movement by the retaining hook 1*, which is pivoted (Fig. 3)

upon the link at Z and pressed forward. by

thelight spring Z to overlie the end of the mandrel shaft. The shaft end is therefore readily released when the hook is forced backward, leaving the mandrel free to be swung'away from the linked carrier for the withdrawal .of its. record if desired. The

shaft .end is replaced by merely snapping in. the end of the shaft against the inclined 'end'of the hook to force the latter open. For withdrawal, a sharp quick pull on the mandrelshaft will also open the hook.

\Vhen the record is in position (see Fig. 1) one end of the mandrel shaft is seated in the step bearing p, which is slightly cupped to receive the shaftend and retain it in osition. This. bearing is shown stationary ut, if desired, the same might itself be journaled in ball or other frictionless bearings acting thereby to reduce the friction of the mach1ne.-

At its oppositeend the enlarged end of the mandrel shaft is recessed to receive the WlIlQBCl point 1' upon the head of the driving shaft 1'', which latter is constantly driven throughthe sleeve W, in which the driving shaft 1s mounted for axial sliding'movement,

although keyed or pinned .thereto'to rotate 30 therewith. .To the sleeve isv secured the fly wheel r and driving pulley r, the latter havin suitable source of driving power. The fly wheel, tends to keep constant the speed of rotation of the driving shaft by being clutched to and unclutched from successive records, tending therefore to start up the new record instantly at its normal speed. The outer end of the driving sleeve W has the grooved collar-rt, which is attached .to

the driving shaft 1" by apinv working in a slot in the sleeve, so that the collar turns with the latter, but may be moved longitudinally to cause the longitudinal clutching or unclutching of the driving shaft. The sprocket and chain-carrier have a position of restsuch that a record is then held, as shown in Fig; 1, in approximately its .opera live position and in a position to have its mandrel shaft engaged by the driving shaft.

In that position as shown the winged head 1: of the riving shaft engages the recessed or socketed end of the man'drelshaft, forcing the opposite end of the shaft into the cupped bearing and lifting the shaft substantially free om contact with the chain carrier. The mandrel shaft is then supports ed at one end by the bearing 1) and at the opposite end by the head of the driving shaft which'holds it in suitable and-accurate alinementfor cooperation'with the sound box and stylus, and simultaneously imparts thereto the necessary rotary movement.

When the sound box reaches the end ofits a connection by a belt withany' travel, by means hereafter referred to, it is elevated and returned to its initial position. Simultaneously, the record is released by the driving shaft and restored to the carrier and the sprocket is given a partial revolution,

sufficient to bring a fresh record into its approximate operative position, whereupon the fresh record is in turn engaged by the driv- .ing.shaft. and presented .to the stylus. Y

For the purpose of releasing and shifting the records, the sound box or its arm is caused to complete an electric circuit, energizing the controlling magnet S, which is shown (Fig. 1) placed beneath the sprocket shaft in a central location. The energizetion of the magnet attracts its armature s, normally retracted by the spring 8-. This forces the armature rod 8 a ainst the u right pivoted lever sflcausing the latter to withdraw the horizontal locking bar 8* from the locking a erture m in the face or side of the s roe et M. Simultaneously, the driving s aft 1' is withdrawn from clutch-- ing-engagement with the enlarged socket of the mandrel shaft by pressure of the oppo site end of the locking rod against the upright pivoted lever 7*", which is comiected tomove the grooved collar 7 outwardly and release the record.

The moment the record is released by the clutching head of the driving shaft, the

tapered portion'n upon the mandrel shaft engages with the aperture-of the link and slides or withdraws the mandrel out of the cupped bearing p, so that the shaft when restored to its seat on the carrier 1s entirely clear of its end support and free to advance with the carrier orholder.

The record having been restored to the I carrier and the s rocketreleased,tl1e sprocket.

shaft is free to eturii'ed by mechanism to be described, the clutch shaft in the meantime being held retracted by the latch rod 8*, the latching end of which remains pressed against the face of the sprocket until the sprocket is turned far enough to brin the next locking aperture in registration t erewith, whichdoes not occur until the next record has advanced to the desired position.

"The sprocket shaft is turned through engagement of the gear m and the PllllOll an, the latterbeing mounted upon a sleeve w1th the sprocket m, which is driven through the depending end of the upright lever s throws the sleeve 771, over against the spring m and clutches the counter-shaft sleeve m to the rotating counter-shaft, thereby causing the turning of the sprockets. The movement of the sprocket shaft continues until the locking rod 8 enters the next aperture, whereupon the spring m disengages the clutch. The same movementof the locking rod frees the upright rod 1" which under influence of the spring a forces the driving shaft into engagement with the mandrel shaft of the fresh record lifting the latter from the chain and alining it in operative position. I I

The sound box, stylus and attached parts may be of any usual or suitable construction and the same are not here shown in detail. The sound box T, however, is secured to the arm 25, mounted to slide upon the rod t. For its forward movement the arm has a. nut

't adapted to engage the finely threaded screw t when the arm is depressed. The arm, however, is also'provided with a second nut t adapted to engage with the overlying coarse threadedlreturn feed screw if whenthe arm is swungslightly upward. The two feed screws are given a constant and suitable rotary movement by gearing (not shown) driven from the sleevejr During forward movement offinely threaded feed screw. When the stylus nears the end of the record an adjustable contact screw t (Fig. 1) carried by the arm causes a s ring contact 25 to touch the contact (6 an complete an electrical circuit for energizing the controlling magnet S. Completion of this circuit also energizes a second magnet (not shown), the armature of which is connected to the lever 12 (Fig. 2),, movement of which swings the cam shelfe upward. The latter underlies the sound box arm and causes elevation of the sound box the sound box has returned to its initial posi-' tion, whereupon a projection 26 upon the sound box arm is caused to strike the pin and withdraw it from the machine frame,

' permitting the shelf to drop and lower the sound box and stylus into engagement with the new record, which in the meantime has been advanced.

Obviously, various other ways of controlling the movement and action of the soiind he soundbox, the arm is depressed and engages the;

box, as well as the automatic operation of the varlous parts, may be employed, this spe cific form of machine being submitted for.

illustrative purposes only.

Since themandrel shafts require'no positive alinement upon thelinks of the machine, as has heretofore been the case in linked carriers,,the individual links may be made of cheap construction and, if desired, stamped out of sheet'metal, thereby considerably lessenivgg1 the cost of a machine of this type.

ile I have shown and described a machine embodying one form of my invention, it is to be understood thatthelatter is not limited to the specific details or form or relative arrangement of parts here shown, but

extensive deviations therefrom may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims- 1. A phonograph having alinked carrier for loosely holding a record and record-rotating means for engaging a record freeing it from said carrier and alining it in operative position.

2. A .phonograph having linked recordholding means and record rotating means for freeing it from the holding means.

3. A multiple record phonograph having I achain carrier for loosely holding a plurahty of records,'and record-rotat1ng means for successively engaging the several records freeing each from the carrier and alining it in operative position.

4. A multlple record phonograph having flexible means for holding a plurality of records, and record-rotating means for successively freeing the records from the holding means and alining each in operative position.

5. A phonograph having flexible holding means for holding a record, and record-supporting means adapted to freethe'record from the holding means and support the same in operative relation to the sound pro" ducing mechanism. l v 6. A phonograph having flexible holding means for holding a record, and arotary support adapted to move to engage with the record and free the same from the holding means. r

7. Aphonograph having a chain carrier for holding a plurality of records, end supporting means for rotatably holding a record 1n playing position, means for causing. said records successively to' pass between said end supporting means while still on the carrier, and means for there freeing a record from'the carrier and there alining it in operative position.

\ 8. A multiple record phonograph employing a chain record holder, the latter comprising a plurality of links and having openmgs toreceive the record mandrels, said openings being of greater diameter than the rotating them Without substantial change of 710 dklameter of the mandrels and means to free position. 1 p f successive record mRDdI'EISiIOm the holder. In testimony whereof, I have signed my 9. 'Alinultiple' record phonograph havin name to this specification, in the presence of -5- a flexible record carrier in whlch the recor two snbscrib' witnesses.

mandrels are held loosely, means for bring: G 4 ORGE H. UNDERHILL. ingosliccessive records substantially. into op- Witnesses:

erative position, and end engaging means THOMAS B; BOOTH,

for freeing the records from the carrier and EDITH E. CHAPMAN. 

